O’Connor and Veilleux Tab Major Awards, Eight Gulls take All-Conference Honors

CCC All-Conference Release

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) has released the 2014 Softball All-Conference Teams. Senior Nell O'Connor (Harwich, Mass.) was named Pitcher of the Year while Coach Veilleux earned Co-Coach of the Year. Eight Gulls also earned All-Conference accolades.

Joining O'Connor on the All-Conference First Team is sophomore catcher Sam DiBella (Danvers, Mass.), freshmans Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Chrissy Gikas (Danvers, Mass.), senior centerfielder, Alex Moise (North Reading, Mass.) and sophomore, designated player, Emily Hoffman (Malden, Mass.).

Receiving Honorable Mention honors are senior shortstop, Jesse Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) and junior right fielder Jess Linden (Stratford, Conn.).

O'Connor becomes the fourth Endicott pitcher to be honored as Pitcher of the Year for two consecutive years. Also with her award the Gulls have tabbed the Pitcher of the Year honor for the past four seasons. O'Connor is currently second in the CCC in wins (11) and third in ERA (1.42). The senior has posted an impressive 11-2 record in the circle for the Blue and Green while making 13 appearances and 10 complete games to combine for 78.2 innings. The pitcher has recorded 59 strikeouts and just 23 runs and 56 hits. 

Coach Veilleux is in his 20th season as the helm of the Endicott Softball program, which is the longest of any coach in Endicott's athletic history. During his time at Endicott he has compiled an impressive overall record of 552-223-12 which marks a .700 winning percentage. Coach Veilleux has also led the Gulls to nine CCC Titles, one ECAC Title, two GNAC titles and one NEWAC title while making nine trips to the NCAA tournament making it as far as the NCAA Regional Finals in 2008. The head coach has also coached 24 Gulls into CCC major award winners while being tabbed Coach of the Year four times. Coach Veilleux led this group of Gulls to an impressive 22-11-1 (14-4 CCC) overall record clinching the #1 spot in the upcoming CCC Tournament.

DiBella is no stranger to First Team as she collected honors last year as a rookie. The catcher has played in 28 games while posting a .349 batting average while bringing in 26 RBIs (a team high), four homeruns on 29 hits. Gikas as posed a strong rookie campaign at second base seeing action in 30 games. Gikas wrapped up the regular season with an impressive .412 batting average, 12 RBIs and 39 putouts for a .939 fielding percentage. Couto brought a stellar freshman season to third base seeing time in 30 times while being second on the team in RBIs (21) and cranking three homeruns and five doubles. The third baseman holds an impressive .977 fielding percentage. This is Moise's second First Team nod, her last being in 2012. The centerfielder is hitting a .385 batting average while leading the team in stolen bases (7-7) and bringing in 12 RBIs. Hoffman has been a strong designated player  as the sophomore has crushed two homeruns and 16 RBIs on 17 hits.

Bilafer has found her way to her fourth straight All-Conference honor with a team high, .568 slugging percentage and a 16 RBIs in her 30 games as short. The senior holds a .370 batting average and a .918 fielding percentage with 20 putouts. Linden finds her first softball All-CCC selection after a solid season in right field, the junior played in 30 games while batting a team high .414 average with a .429 slugging percentage. Linden posted six RBIs and a .875 fielding percentage with 16 putouts.

Endicott will see their first postseason game of the season on Tuesday, April 29^th as they start play in the double elimination round, opponent is TBA.